Air-spring for railroad-cars



- G. vALSO-P.

Carriage-spring.

Patented May 3,1, 1859.

No. 24,18L

' ZW *iff N. FETERS, PHOTO-UTHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D. C.

*UNIT STA I GEORGEYM. ALSOI, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-SPRING FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 24,184, dated May 31, 1859;

To all whomit may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE l/I. ALsoP, of the cityof Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Air-Springs for Railroad- Cars and other Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, which make part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective View of a car spring; Fig. 2 a vertical section; Fig. 3 a longitudinal elevation of a spring for carriages with part of one side of the box removed to exhibit the internal arrangement. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of the same; Fig. 5 a back view of a carriege with the spring attached. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of part of Fig. 2 and Fig. 7 is a transverse section off B, Figs. 2 and 6, and ground plan of do.

Description of drawings in which the same letters and figures are used to designate similar parts in all.

A is a metal box or chamber between whose flanges and the top A the flexible diaphragm B B is fastened by means of the bolts and screws a a; B a convex steel plate or plates, cut into leaves so as to form a series of springs radiating from a common central plate and whose peripheries are inserted in a recess in the top A and rest upon the metal plate b b.

C is an elastic air vessel filled with air; D a block or piston to which is attached the elastic pad or cushion E.

F is ayscrew with its washer f, fitting into an opening in the bottom or side of it through which the water or fluid is introduced into the interior of A.

Gr G, Figs. 3 and 4, are two arms or levers whose axes l, 1 are inserted in ears or proj ections on the top of A, H H studs or projections on the top of the piston D and I I are toothed segments on the short arms of the levers Gr G by which they are connected together.

In order to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use my invention I lwill proceed to describe its construction and operation.

In constructing springs for rail road cars I usually make use of the metal box or shell between whose two parts A A is secured the flexible diaphragmB B by means of the bolts or screws a a or their equivalents. This diaphragm is composed of an inner layer or portion B of rubber or some other flexible water proof substance and an outer covering B of leather or its equivalent on the top of the outer edge or rim of the latter is placed the metal plate or ring b through which and the flanges of A A and diaphragm B B the bolts a a pass and the whole fastened together so that the oint between B and it may be perfectly water tight. The diaphragm is made of nearly the same form as the inner surface of A so as to admit of its being pressed nearly down to the bottom of the chamber without being strained by so doing outside of the diaphragm is placed the convex steel plate or plates which are cut so as to form radiating leaves which are connected together at the center and whose outer ends or peripheries are inserted in a recess at the bottom of A and rest on the plate b, and arecapable of la lateral and horizontal motion in the recess and on the plate, and thus serve as flexible supporters to the diaphragm. The edges of the leaves are rounded or beveled 0H?, as represented in Fig. 7 for the purpose of preventing the diaphragm from being caught between them. In the watertightchamber formed by the box A and the diaphragm B B is placed the elastic air vessel' C, made of rubber or its equivalent and filled with air of any required density and then hermetically closed. This air vessel is surrounded .with water or some other suitable fluid, which fills the spacein the chamber not occupied by the air vessel, and is forced in through an aperture in the bottom or side of the chamber which is afterward closed by means the screw F and its washer f so as to be perfectly water tight. In the top A is a hole or opening through which the piston D, made of wood or metal, is inserted and in which it moves. This piston has an elastic pad or cushion made of rubber attached to it, which rests on the diaphragm.

In constructing springs for carriages I make use of a shallow rectangular box A Fig. 3 on whose top are ears or projections in which are inserted the axes l 1 of the levers G G whose long arms bear upon and are supported by the studs H H on the top of the piston, and have their ends attached to the body or bar of the carriage by means of shackles &c. in theusual way. The short` arms of the levers are connected together by the toothed segments I I or their equivalents. From the foregoing description and by referring to the drawings yit will appear that the operation of these springs will be as follows, viz. When these springs are attached to cars or carriages it is evident that any weight or force exerted upon the piston will tend tofdepress the 4diaphragm andtherebyl contract the spaceinthe chamber of the springiand as waterislincompressible theeffect will be to compress the air vessel and itscontained air intoa smaller compass, andthe air by its elasticity will Vreact upon the water and through its-medium upon the piston and -thus form a perfectly elastic spring. And 'as the pressureof fluids is equal inall'directions itis evident thatan'y force exerted on the piston vwill beequally distributed throughf'themedium ofthe water or fluid overthe whole surface of the air vessel and thus the water `will serve'both as a medium for the transmission of the pressure of -the ;piston upon the air vessel: and as a support to the latter, and thereby prevent its rupture either by external or internal force,'and the escape of the air there from.

In the spring for carriages vit will appear that as .the bearing on the piston on which the arms or levers rest is near rtheir center of motion any vertical'motion at that point will be greatly increased at the ends of the levers ywhich are attachedfto theA body of the carriage,and thus afford sutlicient play for thelatter. "Also as the leversare connected or linked together at their short .ends it follows that any pressure exerted on either arm or lever will be simultaneously communicated to the other'and thusboth sides of the vehiclelwill be elevated or depressed equally, andas the piston D has an elastic end or cushion attached to it which rests on the diaphragm the latter will be more or less spread out or distendedover the diaphragm according to the pressure upon the ,piston and thus increase or diminish its bearing surface.

`What I claim in the arrangement and c0nstruction of these springs'isl. Is the method or arrangement of inclosing an elastic air tight vessel filled lwith air, in-abox or chamber Vwith aexible water proof cover or diaphragm and surrounding the-air vessel with water or some other suitablefluid, substantially as hereinfbefore described and `for thepurpose set forth.

2. I claim the arrangement of the convex steel plates B which are divided into radiating leaves or segments connected'together at kthe center,whose outer edges or periphery rest upon and slide on the metal ring or plate b and in the `recess in thebottom of the top A, the whole being arranged as hereinbe-` fore described for `the purpose of forming a flexible metallic support yor covering `to the-diaphragm to prevent its being strained or ruptured, substantially as set forth. l

3. -I claim the combination/and arrange-` ment ofthe piston D with its elastic cushion E, the flexible steel plate or plates B lthe metal plate or ring Z) b and thediaphragm B B, the Whole being arranged Aand combined substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

GEORGE M. ALSOP.

wWitnesses:

. JOHN APPLE,

ALEXANDER BRowNE. 

